Missing the Point
by Sanguinary
Summary: Merton goes to see his therapist about a recurring dream.


TITLE: Missing the Point  
AUTHOR: Sanguinary  
CHALLENGE: The Just Plain Dumb challenge. A fic including a rope ladder, a vacuum cleaner, a   
psychiatrist's couch and a Care Bear.  
DISCLAIMER: Don't own the BWOC characters or Dr. Lecter.   
COPYRIGHT: June 16, 2001  
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive.  
RATING: PG 13 cause indication of /ness.  
CATEGORY: Weird, crossover.  
FEEDBACK: Most excellent! Send it care of: Sanguinary_515@hotmail.com   
SUMMARY: Merton goes to see his therapist about a recurring dream.  
  
~~  
  
If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water-gun and shoot other people in the   
eyes.  
  
~~  
  
Dr. Lecter heard the knock on the door. He glanced up, saw the outline of a spiky head and   
sighed.  
  
"Come in Merton."  
  
The door opened and Merton J. Dingle walked into the room. His usual black clothing was gone,   
replace with blue footy pyjamas. In his arms was a stuffed care-bear toy. Sunshine bear to be   
exact. Hannibal sighed and pointed towards the psychiatrist's couch. Merton walked over and   
lay down, yellow care bear still wrapped tight in his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry but I had the dream again."  
  
Hannibal shook his head as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a blue   
notebook. He stood up and walked over to Merton. Taking a seat in the black leather chair at   
the head end of the couch, Hannibal opened the notebook. Turning to an empty page, he pulled   
at pen out of his jacket pocket and began to write.  
  
Subject: Merton J. Dingle  
  
September 2, 2001  
  
Patient reports that he is still having the dream. In this session I will attempt to get him   
to face the truths within it. Hopefully, it goes better than last session. The vacuum cleaner   
still isn't back to proper operating condition.   
  
Hannibal closed the book and set it gently to the side. "If it was just the dream, you wouldn't   
have come to me. You would have seen Dr. Fraser or Dr. Kats." Merton shifted uncomfortably on   
the couch. Hannibal knew that he was on to something, so he pressed onward. "Something changed   
this time didn't it? Something you weren't expecting. What was is Merton? And don't lie or   
I'll know."  
  
There was silence for a moment. Merton squeezed his teddy-bear tighter and looked into its   
tiny plastic eyes. "The answer's not in Sunshine's eyes and you know it. Now, stop wasting my   
time and tell me."  
  
"It started the same," Merton's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, "Me and Tommy were   
climbing the rope ladder. It was dark all around us and I could barely see Tommy but I knew   
that he was wolfed out. He was two rungs about me and every once in a while he would turn   
around to make sure I was still there."  
  
"Where was the ladder hanging from?"  
  
"A cliff's edge... I think. It was dark all around and there was a small source of light coming   
from the top of the cliff but I couldn't see what it was. Tommy was in the way. I tried to look   
around him but I couldn't."  
  
"What could you hear?" Hannibal knew that every detail was important in dreams, from sight to   
sound to taste and touch.  
  
"My breathing and my heart beat. Tommy's breathing as well. He wasn't as exhausted as I was   
but I knew that he was tired. And... I could hear singing from above. It was female, clear but   
quiet."  
  
"What's different Merton," Hannibal spoke quietly, lowering his head towards Merton's. "What's   
wrong?"  
  
Merton swallowed and squeezed his bear even tighter. "Right now, I usually slip and fall.   
Tommy turns and reaches for me but he's too late and I disappear into the darkness."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But. But I don't slip. And we keep climbing."  
  
"What's happening? What are you feeling?"  
  
"We're near the top. Tommy pulls himself up and then pulls me up too. I'm right; we're on a   
cliff top. And the light is coming from an angel... I think."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"She's beautiful, with long blond hair, green eyes and perfect skin. She's dressed in a white,   
flowing dress that ends at her ankles. It looks like she has wings but she's so bright that I   
can't quite tell. She's the source of the singing as well.  
  
"Tommy starts to walk towards her but I reach out and stop him. I can't quite explain why, I   
just do. I know that there's something wrong about her. I reach out and touch him on the   
shoulder and try to speak but I can't make a sound. He stops and looks from me to her and back   
to me. And..." Merton paused, lost in thought.  
  
Lecter dropped his voice to an almost silent whisper. "And?"  
  
"And... he turns back to me. He wraps his arms around me and says, 'I could never leave you.'   
But, while he's holding me, the angel walks over and pushes us off of the cliff. But, I'm not   
scared like all of the other times. Because this time... this time I have Tommy with me."  
  
Merton lapsed into silence. Hannibal thought a moment, taking in the new information that   
Merton had just presented to him.  
  
"It appears to me that your mind is trying to tell you something about you and Tommy. Tell me,   
did this angel look familiar?"  
  
Merton frowned, "No... yes... kinda. She looked a bit like Stacy... but a bit like Lori as   
well."  
  
"And, has Lori or Stacy ever done anything to upset your... friendship... with Tommy?"  
  
"Well, yeah. They did both date Tommy for a while."  
  
"How did you feel when Lori and Stacy dated Tommy."  
  
"Angry... and lonely. When Tommy was with Lori and Stacy, he never seemed to have enough time   
for me."  
  
"I think that answers your questions about the dream."  
  
Merton smiled and sat up. "You're right! My dream was showing me how I feel about Lori and   
Stacy. Well, now that I know what's troubling me, I can easily correct it. All I have to do is   
to convince Tommy that we don't need Lori or any other girls and we'll be just fine!"  
  
"Actually..."  
  
"Thanks Dr. Lecter!" Merton stood up and headed for the door.  
  
"But..."  
  
"I'll see you later!" Merton opened the door and walked outside.  
  
"Merton!" Hannibal called out. But it was too late. Merton shut the door and disappeared.  
  
Hannibal sight and opened up his notebook.  
  
Patient once again completely disregards what the dream revealed. Either Merton is terminally   
stupid or in denial. And with a mind like his, I certainly hope that it isn't the former.  
  
He refuses to face the fact that his feelings towards his friend are more than... shall we   
say... usual? If Merton does not come face to face with these feelings, he will lose a   
valuable portion of himself.   
  
Hannibal closed the notebook, stood and walked back over to his desk. As he replaced the   
notebook back into the lower desk drawer, he heard a knock on the door. Looking up, he saw the   
outline of a thin man. He sighed.   
  
"Come in Julian,"   
  
Bashir walked in. In his arms he held his teddy bear.  
  
Hannibal shook his head and reopened the bottom drawer. It was going to be another long night.  
  
~~  
  
  



End file.
